


Indoctrination

by TheBeckster



Category: Jak and Daxter
Genre: Dark Warrior Program, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-18
Updated: 2017-03-03
Packaged: 2018-01-01 22:41:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1049407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBeckster/pseuds/TheBeckster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Baron has a new pet project and wants the city's top experts on his team. Those privy to the true nature of the experiment are trying their hardest to stay out of it. But what the Baron wants the Baron gets eventually. The beginning of the story of a doctor forced to work in the Dark Warrior Program. Rated T for mild language. No slash. No pairings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Indoctrination

**Author's Note:**

> Every once in a while I get inspired to pick at my old Jak and Daxter OC and flesh out her character and back story. This first chapter started probably to or three years ago, and then last March I was stuck in a Jak mood and went back and completely reworked it and decided to post it. I'm only just now getting around to sharing this over here.  
> So here goes, take a look at the Dark Warrior Program from an alternate point of view.  
> As always read, review and enjoy!  
> -The Beckster

“What?!?” Lucie looked across the desk with wide, surprised eyes. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Dean, the head of Haven General Hospital, closed his eyes slowly and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Trust me, Lucie, I tried negotiating with him, but he refused to settle again. Baron Praxis wants you and only you on his team for the DWP.”

“I’m not doing it. If I’ve told that man once, I’ve told him a thousand times. I refuse to associate myself with that awful program,” Lucie argued stubbornly, glaring across the desk at her superior.

Dean sighed exhaustion showing in his face; stress had caused him to look much older than his fifty-four. “I know Lucie, and I’ve managed to hold the Baron off for the past three years, but he’s worked his way through every eco researcher in the city. He demanded to have you on the team. You’re the leading expert on Physiecoology in this city and probably on the entire continent. The Baron refuses to settle for anyone else. He made an ultimatum I couldn’t ignore.”

“What did he threaten us with this time?” Lucie asked coldly, leaning back in her chair glaring across the desk.

“He threatened to cut off all supplies to the hospital and all our clinics in the city. Everything would go to the center in the barracks.”

Lucie snorted. “He can’t do that. Too many people rely on this hospital, even he does. I’m certain he hasn’t forgotten that we perform all of the major, lifesaving surgeries on his wounded soldiers. He even owes us his life.”

“His reply was along the lines of ‘If they aren’t strong enough to survive then they don’t belong in my army.’ Besides, he’s already stopped our supplies. The shipment of medicine and cybernetic implants from Kras didn’t come in today. Word is they were stopped in the port, couldn’t even unload from the transport. All of our local eco suppliers are being closely watched by KG. We can’t get anything and our supplies won’t last us through the end of the week.”

“I can’t do it, Dean. I cannot bring myself to lower my morals like that. You know what they do to those poor victims! It’s murder, not research! All they have discovered is what we already knew: Dark Eco kills people.”

“The Baron believes he has made a break through. He believes they have found a channeler.”

“That’s impossible! The common channeler gene has been gone for over a century. It died out with the last of the Eco Sages. The only other gene known is that of the Mar bloodline, and even then there hasn’t been a royal channeler for generations. And there won’t be ever again. The king and his son are dead. Our dear Baron made sure they didn’t survive the coup.”

“I know that, Lucie. But Praxis is certain he has a channeler. Random genetic mutations happen; maybe he really found one.”

Lucie’s frown deepened. “I’m sorry, Dean, but I can’t be responsible to the murder of the innocent in the name of the city.”

“Lucie, please,” Dean begged, “For once forget your morals and make a sacrifice for this hospital. Think about the greater good!”

“I have made sacrifices for this hospital!” Lucie snapped, “I’ve dedicated my life to serving and healing the people of this city. I nurture life, I don’t end it. I will never work for the Baron.”

“Lucie, if you don’t work for the Baron this hospital will cease to exist!” Dean rose from his chair and slammed his hands onto his desk. “More people in the city will die and suffer than those few people in the Program. Can you think of that for a minute? This isn’t just about you and your morals and a few criminals! This is for the greater good of the entire city. Just go work for the Baron.”

Lucie stood up indignantly when Dean rose. She looked at her colleague suspiciously. She had just realized fate was already out of hands. “I never suspected you would be a sellout to the Baron, especially over the Dark Warrior Program.” Her voice was low and furious.

“I didn’t ‘sell out’, Lucie,” he shot back venomously, “It was a carefully considered decision. I have to put the needs of the people in this damn city first. It’s my job. Sometimes you have to sacrifice a few to save a thousand.”

“So you decided to sell your best doctor and good friend to the Baron. How much did you sell me for?” Lucie crossed her arms over her chest to stop her clenched fists from shaking. Dean avoided her glare. “How much?” she demanded.

“The Baron said the hospital would have its eco bill fully paid for six months,” he replied, his voice heavy and weary again. His gaze fell everywhere else, but on the woman staring daggers into him. “He’s already frozen your accounts; nothing goes in or out unless it’s coming from him. He’s also tripled his offered salary.”

“I don’t want money for what I’m doing!” Lucie glowered, “It’s bad enough I’ll have torture weighing on my conscience. Being paid in blood money would just be another insult.”

“A KG escort will get you at your apartment tomorrow morning at eight,” Dean stated with finality, still not meeting Lucie’s gaze, instead he had started organizing the papers on his desk. “I’m sorry Lucie. Maybe with your final verdict they’ll finally realize that the Program will never work and they’ll shut it down. You’re the leading expert, make them realize it is a complete failure,” he offered helplessly.

Lucie took her cue to leave. She opened the door, paused on the threshold, and turned around, “You know, after what the Baron did to your family, I always thought you would rather burn in hell before becoming his bitch. I guess I was wrong.”

She turned on her heel and walked quickly down the hall. As she called the elevator she took many deep breaths to try and quell her fury. As much as she wanted to scream and kick the wall she knew it wouldn’t do any good. A sore throat and broken toe would not get her out of working for the Baron, nor would it make the sting of betrayal fade.  
__________________________________________________________________________________________

“Dr. Grzvynski, I’m delighted to see you finally agreed to join us,” Baron Praxis said extending his hand as Lucie was escorted into his throne room by two armed guards. “I trust your ride here was uneventful.”

“Yes, the armed guards almost made me feel secure and special, almost like a prisoner,” Lucie replied tersely, ignoring the Baron’s extended hand.

The Baron dropped his hand to his side, his false, political smile never wavering. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew he had to keep the doctor in a good mood if he expected her cooperation. “Please, have a seat,” he gestured to a chair across the large desk that looked pathetically undersized in the enormous room, “and we will finalize your contract.”

Lucie took off her coat and held it out for the guard next to her. The confused guard looked between his commander and the Palace’s newest guest, hesitating momentarily. Praxis nodded slightly and shot the guard a sharp look. Fumbling, the guard took Lucie’s coat and folded it over his arms. Lucie smirked, the Baron wanted her, really wanted her. She was ready to play this game, but carefully. As valuable as she may be she was still disposable to Praxis. She had to push wisely until she found the limits of his patience.

“May I offer you something to drink?” Praxis said as a servant hurried over. “Tea? Coffee?”

“Oh, no thank you,” Lucie said far too sweetly.

Praxis waved the servant off and settled into his chair, “Now, Doctor, we need to finalize your contract.”

“You know, Baron, I was thinking last night about how it seems like just a few years ago you were bringing in little Ashelin to my clinic for her vaccines. I remember how she used to cry at the thought of a needle and you would hold her hand, and wipe away her tears, and tell her how brave she was. It’s funny how time seems to fly.” _You used to be so tender and fatherly, but then again that was a different time and you were a different man. That was before the metal heads killed your wife._ “I assume she’s gotten over her needle phobia, judging by the amount of tattoos that adorn her now. I must say she’s grown into a fine young woman. You must be proud of her,” Lucie said, her sincerity masking her insinuations. The Baron read the hidden messages just the same.

“Yes, Ashelin has turned out to be a fine officer. She’s due for a promotion soon.” The Baron shot Lucie a looked laced with a warning to choose her words judiciously. Lucie heeded his only warning and changed the subject. That was one line she could not cross again.

“So, you really must want me on your team for the price you were willing to pay to get me. Covering the hospital for the next six months, and tripling my salary, and here I thought you had given up on charity. That really was very kind of you.”

The Baron scowled. “Those conditions only stand if you do your job, which is clearly stated in this contract.” He pushed a paper towards Lucie, “Everything is arranged, all you need to do is sign.”

Lucie smiled. “Nice try, but I’m going to read it first.” She adjusted her glasses and picked up the paper. She was silent for a minute, “Funny, I don’t remember being offered the position of primary physician. I was under the impression that I would be here strictly for research proposes.”

“The contract states you will be primary physician for the test subjects. There have also been a number of requests from some of the guard for a woman physician to discuss... feminine things.” The Baron finished with a vague wave of his hand, a hint of embarrassment colored his final statement.

“I can tell biology was your favorite subject,” Lucie observed dryly. She read farther down the contract “I see that I’m primary physician for officers as well as female enlisted personnel.”

“If you expect triple pay, then you better expect to work for it,” the Baron stated simply.

“I see that I must work for a year and after that I may cancel it at any time, unless I am dismissed from the team by you.” She read farther down, “Ah, my salary and the agreement on the hospital. Well Baron Praxis, as much as I detest being here you’ve got me cornered.” She reached for a pen. “I will do this appalling job only as long as I must. This will be the year I will omit from my record and my memory,” she spat bitterly as she signed her name.

The Baron took the contract back with a disturbingly triumphant look on his face. “I am glad to finally have you on board, Doctor.” He rose and Lucie followed his cue. “I imagine you would like to start working as soon as possible. Accompany me to the prison and I will get you acquainted with your coworkers and the project. You can even meet our new test subject; we’re starting his trials today.” He strode purposefully towards the massive doors of the throne room.

Lucie suppressed a shudder, retrieved her coat from the less than happy looking guard, and followed the Baron. May the Precursors forgive her for what she would have to do in the coming year.  
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

The prison was particularly foul. The stench of human excrement, mildew, blood, and rust filled Lucie’s nostrils long before they entered that wing of the Fortress. Clearly, maintenance and upkeep had fallen to the wayside. Lucie added to demand the cells be cleaned more often to the top of her list.

The cell block set aside specifically for the Dark Warrior Project was the second stop on her tour after meeting her coworkers. Many of them were KG and Lucie doubted that any of them had ever practiced real medicine, aside from knowing field dressings and basic first aid. There was one man, boasting a thick Aeropan accent, who stood out as competent and knew what he was doing. The sadistic gleam in his eyes as he talked about the Project made Lucie’s stomach turn. He was clearly a psychopath who functioned reasonably well because he had an outlet for his sadism. Lucie secretly thought that a psychological evaluation on any of the people working the project would reveal sadistic tendencies. They all seemed to have volunteered for the job.

She was lead past the cells slowly so she could assess each prisoner. Their ages varied greatly, from a frail looking woman with gray hair to a wiry looking twenty-something young man who paced around his cell angrily and shouted obscenities until one of the guards tazered him into submission. There were twenty test subjects in all.

Praxis stopped at the very last cell in the row and gestured to it proudly. “Here is my newest catch.”

Lucie peeked reluctantly. Huddled in the corner of the metal slab that served as his bed, as far from the cell door as possible, was a young boy. He had bright yellow hair with green roots that stood straight up. He watched the guards with wide, terrified, bright blue eyes. He glanced quickly at Praxis, his eyes lingering momentarily on the Baron’s cybernetic half in fascination and terror. Lucie found that odd; the boy acted as if he had never seen anyone with a cybernetic implant, that technology was easily a hundred years old and relatively common. Then he turned his gaze to her and shrunk back even more. Lucie had to force herself to keep her face stoic. She couldn’t allow herself to feel sympathetic towards the test subjects. She had to try and dehumanize them in her mind; otherwise she’d never survive the next year.

“We’re starting his eco treatments today,” Praxis explained. “We have reasonable belief that the boy is a channeler.”

“You can’t.” Lucie couldn’t stop herself.

“Why not?” The Baron asked dangerously.

Lucie gestured around to all the cells. “None of these test subjects are in proper health to provide reliable results. Many of them are too sick. Their symptoms can give us inaccurate data. It’s basic science. You need healthy test subjects if you want reliable data.”

“None of the other researchers have said anything about this,” Praxis countered suspiciously.

“Then you have a bunch of sadists under your thumb, not scientists. Go out to any reputable lab in the city and see what conditions they keep their rats in. Their cages are clean, they get good food and fresh water regularly, and they’re in perfect health before and during the tests. These people are living in their own filth and it’s making them sick. Testing now would just be a waste of time and resources and your subjects could die from something else before you get any results.”

Praxis looked around the room and at the scum covered floors. One prisoner had a bout of hacking coughs that rang heavily in the silence. “Perhaps you have a point.”

“I refuse to start testing on anyone until they have a clean bill of health. That’s the only way you can ensure the most accurate test results,” Lucie stated firmly. She crossed her arms over her chest and chanced a glance into the boy’s cell behind her. Would he realize she was buying him more time and getting him the best living conditions possible in this situation? Would any of the prisoners realize that?

The boy looked confused, as if he was desperately trying to see the best in Lucie, but at the same time he couldn’t differentiate her from any of the other people in white coats who had treated him like a living pin cushion over the last few days and then handed him over to the abusive guards.

A shout from the cell across the way, a middle aged man covered in KG tattoos – a deserter – made up the boy’s mind for him. “What are you playing at, bitch? You’re just fattening us up for the slaughter! Just let us suffer and die in our own shit.”

Lucie turned away from the hardened eyes of the boy and steeled herself. “It’s no trick, Baron, if you want the most accurate test results they must be in good health. Otherwise you can’t trust any of the data.”

Praxis paused and thought for a moment. “It will happen, Doctor. Now come, we will show you to your new office.”

Lucie’s office ended up being a small suite of four rooms – a front informal sitting area that doubled as her office, a back examination room, a recovery room, and a small bathroom. The first room was dominated mostly by a desk and several file cabinets, a couple plastic chairs stood in one corner. There were a few large file boxes stacked on top of Lucie’s new desk. The exam room was stark white and sterile; Lucie found it comforting after the rather dingy surroundings of the Fortress in general. A quick look told her that she had every piece of equipment she could possibly need to perform any procedure short of major surgery. The recovery room only held a few beds, but they were clean and soft.

“I trust you find everything adequate to easily practice medicine in here when required.” Praxis said as Lucie explored her examination room.

“Yes, everything seems to be in order.”

“Then I will leave you to your studies. You have much to read. I expect you to be at security at 8am promptly every morning, and you may not leave until after 8pm every night. Any lapses in judgment will result in consequences. I will keep tabs on you.”

“Know this, Praxis. I expect my demands to be fulfilled in a timely manner and done properly. I will withhold my involvement in the DWP if I find things slipping out of my control. You brought me here, I am in charge now. You best make sure all my coworkers and the prison guards understand that. If you comply to my wishes, I will comply to yours.”

“It seems we have reached a compromise.” Praxis turned to leave the office.

“I expect it in writing, Baron, with your signature on it. I want it on my desk by lunch.”

“It will be done,” The Baron growled before leaving the Doctor alone in her new office.

Lucie sighed and sat in her chair. She moved the file boxes to the floor and opened the one with the oldest date, over three years old. She pulled out the first binder and began to read. Each test subject had their own binder full of detailed information. Part of her wanted to just dump every box in the garbage, since the data gathered was crap, and reading into the project would be the last step she could take to be fully indoctrinated into the program. She didn’t want to, but she needed to intimately know everything about the project if she wanted to really make a difference.

At midday, Lucie returned to the prison block. She needed to have a serious discussion with the warden about the changes that were to come about if the subjects were to be healthy enough for experimentation.


	2. Examinations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuing the story of my doctor as she brings the prisoners and test subjects of the DWP back to good health to being experiments.

Prisoner physicals started first thing on Lucie’s second day. Fifteen prisoners, fifteen physicals, fifteen reluctant patients who needed to go through a full barrage of tests, fifteen people who would probably need to be force fed medication. At least they’d get a break from the dark eco experiments. Not that they would appreciate what she was trying to do for them, but it made Lucie feel a little better about things. It gave her a sense of control.

The physicals were long and taxing physically and emotionally. Some of her patients had been less than compliant and unwilling to be treated. A few tried to resort to violence, but were quickly subdued by the ever-present armed guards. One was thoughtful enough to tell Lucie what he thought of her by relieving himself on the exam room floor. Try as she might, Lucie couldn’t separate the convicted criminals sitting on her table from helpless victims. Each prisoner’s file had a detailed record of their crimes. She had a few murderers on her hands and a couple deserters from the Guard, but as she checked their dead eyes and searched for veins in their scarred, emaciated arms to draw blood she felt pity for them. Nobody deserved to be put through this ordeal, regardless of their crimes.

Lucie’s arrangement with the warden was that each cell would be scrubbed and sterilized while the subjects were taken out for their physical; when they returned they’d get a full, nutritious meal. She personally escorted each prisoner from their cell to her office, accompanied by a handful of guards. She had only gone through her first seven and she had already found three subjects with intestinal parasites and one was confined to the recovery room receiving IV antibiotics for a severe case of pneumonia.

It was a slow and painstaking treatment that would keep the frail woman bedridden for a week at least, but Lucie couldn’t treat anyone with eco-based medicines. Due to the experiments, their bodies had become conditioned to violently reject any eco. She also had to keep their systems free of any eco for the sake of accurate test results.

Lucie knew from the start that nursing the prisoners back to full health would take much longer than Praxis would like. The man was impatient, but she had a signed contract and this was her domain. She knew, however, that he’d find some way to remind her who was really in charge.

By the time Lucie had reached her last patient she was exhausted. Thus far, she seven cases of intestinal parasites, one case of severe pneumonia, a fungal infection, and all fourteen previous patients were malnourished, dehydrated, and bearing the marks of physical abuse. The only patient in the recovery room was the woman with pneumonia. Her monitors, IV bag, and two armed guards nearly filled the space. Lucie left her heart drop when she remembered that the child was her final patient; she prayed fervently to the Precursors that he was in good health. Who knew how the guards had treated the Baron’s “Prize Catch” when no one was around.

She steeled herself and led her entourage back to the prison block. The whole area smelled strongly of chemicals and astringent cleaners. She peeked into her previous patients’ cells and was mildly pleased to see they had been provided with clean clothes and some were even gnawing on their food with a bit of enthusiasm.

The boy barely had a chance to react before the guards grabbed him and dragged him out of the cell. Lucie avoided making eye contact with him as he was dragged through the halls like an animal. She didn’t properly look at him until he was seated on her examination table, cringing under the glare of his guards.

Lucie turned to them and squared each of them with a look. “Get out,” she ordered. She could tell that she wouldn’t get anywhere with the boy if he was being watched every second.

“Ma’am, we have orders to watch the prisoners every second they are out of their cells.”

“He’s a half starved, severely dehydrated child. You can wait outside the door. I doubt he’ll be able to do anything in the two seconds it would take you to come back in should he try something.”

“We have orders.” The guard protested.

“And I’m ordering you as a medical professional. Get out of this room. I won’t get reliable answers from the child if you’re eyeing him like a couple of hungry crocadogs. I will call if I feel threatened in the least.” Lucie leveled them with a steely look.

The two KG exchanged a look before stepping back. “We will be right outside the door. If we hear anything suspicious we will return.”

Lucie shut the door behind them quickly. “Damn grunts; I hate the military,” she muttered darkly, reaching into a cupboard for a gown. She handed the cloth gown to the boy on the table.

“Alright, son, lose the prison rags and put the gown on,” she said gently. The boy gave her a hesitant, slightly embarrassed look. “I won’t look, okay?” Lucie said, turning to face the wall. “Just let me know when you’re done, and don’t stab me in the back.”

After a minute she heard the boy softly clear his throat. She turned and gestured to the scale in the corner. “Hop on and I’ll get your measurements.” It took the computer a moment to scan the boy’s height, measure his weight, and inform Lucie that he was slightly underweight. Lucie took that time to ask some questions.

“How old are you, kid?” He didn’t answer.

“You got a name? I’d hate to have to keep calling you “son” and “kid” and stuff.” Again he just stared at her silently.

“You’re not a big talker are you? Take a seat back on the table.”

The boy shrugged and sat down.

“Well, I know you understand everything I’m saying.” Lucie picked up a handheld scanner and began to go over the boy from head to toe. “Praxis thinks that you’re a real channeler. I think he’s finally gone insane. The only channelers in recent history have been descended from the Mar bloodline, and you aren’t royalty, kid. You could be a distant descendent of a Sage, I suppose. A true sage hasn’t been seen in over a century. As you know, they were all hunted down by the Metal Heads. If there are any sages out there now, then they are doing a very good job of hiding. You could have a random genetic mutation, but that’s a one in a million chance. Any other mutation on the genes and you wouldn’t have been born.” Lucie finished her scan and plugged the scanner into the computer. “All that and you still don’t have anything to say?” she commented, waiting for the scans to upload and compile.

“I suppose it’s a bit of a welcome relief, my last patient wouldn’t stop screaming at me. Can you even talk?” Lucie watched the boy for any reaction. He continued to sit there with the same untrusting glare he had when he was asked to step on the scales.  
Lucie turned to the computer and zoomed in on the boy’s throat. “Nothing seems to be wrong with your vocal chords. You must be one of those silent types. Or is it just me?” 

No reply.

Lucie sighed, “Listen, kid, I don’t want to be here anymore than you do. I hate being here, and I loathe everything they’re doing in this hole. It goes against everything I stand for. But like you, I have no choice in the matter. You know how Praxis is and you know that he gets what he wants.” Lucie paused, glanced towards the door and lowered her voice before continuing. “I’m a doctor. I give life, I don’t take it. And these experiments they’re doing are completely pointless because they only prove that dark eco kills. We’ve known that since the beginning of time.” Lucie paused to watch the boy’s face change expression from hostility to a mild curiosity. “I want to help. I want to save lives. I will do everything in my power to sabotage this project, and I want you to know that. I want you to know that I’m not another heartless monster like the other people in this project. I’m not throwing you to the crocodogs. I’m trying to do my best without raising suspicion. I’m delaying the experiments; I’m ensuring that you are healthy and safe. I… I just want you to know that I’m trying to help you. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.”

Presently the computer pinged and an information box popped up. Lucie read it quickly; the boy’s blood-eco levels were incredibly high for an average citizen. She only saw levels like that in people who worked in the eco refineries. “Damn, kid, you’re going to need a detox,” Lucie sighed again, turning back to the child. “With that cocktail of eco you must have been working at the munitions factory. It’s not going to be pleasant, but it will keep you out of the cell for a few days.”

The boy gave her a questioning look.

“You do know how an eco-detox works, right?”

He shook his head.

“Where have you been for the last twenty years? We have to clean all of the residual eco out of your body.” The boy’s face grew alarmed. “Don’t believe the myths; a body can live perfectly fine without eco. You won’t be at your peak, but you’ll live well enough. I’ve never been detoxed, but I’ve treated enough people to know what it’ll be like. The most severe aftereffects reported has been living with the feeling that you’ve got a bad flu: body aches, lethargy, and a general feeling of fuzziness. You’ll be relatively miserable for a couple days, but once your body adjusts you’ll be fine.”

The boy still looked unconvinced, so Lucie offered him a comforting smile. “Look on the bright side, you’re being treated by the person most qualified to do it. I invented the procedure. Your symptoms probably won’t be half as bad since your body isn’t oversaturated with eco, as in cases of eco poisoning. You’ll be fine in a few days.” Lucie turned back to the computer to put in orders for the boy to be moved to the recovery room. “Unfortunately, since you’ve got all four ecos in your system this will take a little longer than normal. Each detox agent only works for one particular eco. Green has to go first, then blue, yellow, and red is last.”

She moved to a cabinet on the opposite end of the room and pulled out an IV bag filled with translucent, reddish liquid. She turned to put together a tray of equipment she’d need to start the IV. “Are you going to let me do this easily? Or do I have to call in the brute squad? I’d really rather you didn’t try and break my nose while I start the IV.” Lucie inquired quietly but earnestly as she turned back to the child. She reached for his hand and he let her take it without complaint.

“I’m really sorry about all of this, kid.” Lucie apologized as she slid the needle and catheter into a vein on the back of the kid’s hand. “I’m putting it in the most comfortable place I can, but I’ll warn you now that I won’t hesitate to stick it in your elbow and immobilize your arm if you become a problem. I’ve seen people do enough crazy things during a detox that they don’t mean. I trust you; I wouldn’t give this option to anyone else in the cell block. Try to hold onto your freedom, kid.” Lucie hooked the steadily dripping bag onto a stand and gave the child a final look. “Remember, I’m on your side.”

“Oh, boys!” she called to the guards outside the door. “You can come in now.”

The words had hardly left her mouth before the small examination room was filled; the guards taking up almost half the available space with their hulking armor. “The boy needs to be detoxed, so he’s going to be spending a few days in the recovery room. Your services are no longer required, and you are dismissed. Report to the warden and then go about your business.” Lucie turned away from them and helped the boy off the examination table. The medicine worked extremely fast and the boy was already looking unsteady. She led him to the recovery room and placed him in the bed farthest away from the woman with pneumonia. His immune system would be compromised without the additional help of eco.

As Lucie settled the boy into the bed she did a mental recap of her patients. She could give them medicine and treat their ailments, but she’d never get them back to perfect health. She’d have to get as close as possible before their experiments started again. After his detox, the boy would be one of the first to be able to start his trials

She left the boy in the company of his guard and returned to her desk. The Baron demanded detailed reports on all the prisoners and the sooner she let him know, the sooner she could return to her patients. 

By mid-afternoon, it had become apparent to Lucie that her assumptions about the boy’s detox were all wrong. It wasn’t progressing as it would for moderate over exposure to eco. He was reacting as if he had eco poisoning; as if his body had begun to rely on eco to function. His eco levels had been high, but not that high. He had quickly sunk into a state of partial lucidity; alternating between staring blankly at the ceiling and tossing and turning through feverish dreams. Lucie found herself spending more time hovering by the boy’s bedside as the day progressed. By early evening he developed a fever and Lucie sat down to play nurse and wash his face and neck with a cool compress.

The Baron dropped in once and was less than pleased to see his prized catch lying semiconscious, looking sickly and pale, and shivering with fever chills. His mood changed considerably when Lucie explained how he was having a stronger reaction to the detox than was expected. He became excited at the prospect that the boy was different than normal people. Lucie bit her tongue rather than telling the Baron that there was no way the boy could be a channeler. He simply had a higher than average affinity for eco. There were probably thousands of people out in the world with his same level of affinity, they simply were never treated for eco poisoning because of their tolerance. None of those people would be able to channel eco though. Now was not the time to get into that argument with the Baron. Perhaps another day she would be able to make him realize that channelers were extinct in the Haven area thanks to him and his war.

Lucie did not sleep well that night. Her thoughts kept flying back and forth from concerns about the boy to anger towards the Baron. Her contract did not allow her to stay overtime and she had to trust the care of her patients with one of the others in on the project. She would have preferred to watch the boy herself, even if he had been given a heavy sedative. He’d be out for well over eighteen hours, but she worried about him none the less. There was nothing she could do for the boy while the detox ran its course anyway.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

It took three days to completely detox the boy. It was another week before Lucie felt comfortable sending him back to his cell. The shock to his body has left him as weak as a newborn croc-pup, and, much to the boy’s distress, he had been temporarily blinded. The Haze was a side effect of the detox – the body’s natural reaction to the medication that occurred only when all of the eco had been removed. She would have preferred to keep him under her care until he had fully recovered his strength, but her colleagues were growing impatient. They wanted to see progress in their test subjects, and the child was the last one to be returned to his cell.

In the end, it was for the best that Lucie had sent the boy away to finish his recovery. As much as she had mentally prepared herself, she still found she was growing attached to the boy. He just seemed too innocent for the world and, oddly enough, lost and confused. Haven City was only so big, and even young children understood the grim reality of their lives behind the walls. The boy was too young to have known a time when travel outside the walls and to other cities was allowed. He intrigued her, and he troubled her. His bright, blue, cautious eyes stirred up maternal feeling she thought she had buried long ago. Only she hadn’t realized it until it was too late.

It had started as nothing more than probing for information; partially to satisfy her curiosity and also following the Baron’s orders. It was appalling how little information the boy’s file had and Lucie began to suspect that the Baron really had plucked the child randomly off the streets. There was nothing personal about him – no name, no date of birth, not even a record of his arrest. The Baron had given her the task of discovering the boy’s name. Once he had regained lucidity, Lucie began guessing names hoping she’d hit near the mark or at least annoy him enough with her guessing game that he’d open his mouth. She worked alphabetically; picking a new name every time she addressed him and watching closely for any changes in the boy’s body language or mood. A couple times she picked a completely ridiculous just to try and make the boy smile. Only once did she see his lip twitch that she interpreted as a smile. The name game continued until she accidentally picked the wrong name. It had slipped out unconsciously, just another name on the list; but once it passed her lips the damage was done.

She was checking his eyes to make sure the last of the Haze had cleared up, and she made a comment about finally being able to see his blue eyes again. She called him Willem, her son’s name.

She hadn’t realized how much her expression changed until the boy’s face changed. His brow creased and his mouth pulled down into a confused frown. She sat back and continued the examination as normal, but the damage was done. She gave the child before her – a boy she knew was going to be tortured for the sake of a madman’s dream – a connection to her son. The more she thought on the subject the more similarities she created. They would be about the same age. The boy had been in good health before his arrest, he wasn’t from the slums; they could have gone to school together. They could have even been friends… in another universe.

After that, no matter how hard she tried to continue her guessing game, in her mind she always referred to the child by her son’s name. She didn’t know if the boy had caught her slip or noticed anything different in the way she treated him, but if he did he never acted any differently. He remained mute and cautious until the day he was returned to his cell. Lucie was giving him a final check-up before the guards escorted him back to his cell, and as she had been for the whole week, sue took one last chance to play her name game. The boy still did not say anything until she stood up to fetch the guards. Then a quiet voice asked her to wait.

Lucie stopped, her eyes widening in surprise as she turned back to face the boy.

“My name is Jak,” the child stated. Lucie noticed a change in his expression, a slight softening of his face and a gleam in his eyes. He trusted her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is all I have thus far. For the future, I can probably get another chapter churned out. I never started this with the idea of it being a huge long story. It was more of a way for me to pick at my character and share what I came up with. Feedback always helps get my creative juices flowing though. So if you would like to see more in the future, let me know.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	3. Experimentation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most likely the final chapter in Lucie's story for the time being. When I started picking at her backstory again a few years back I had really only expected it to go to three chapters. Get her into the DWP, start the experiments, show her stepping into her role a bit. Not that she enjoys the work at all, but there are certain privileges she gets to exercise.  
> And sorry for any typos. My laptop keys are dying and I only had a chance to self-beta this one.  
> My most sincere thanks to everyone who took the time to read, or drop a kudos, or comment! Thanks for letting me give my ancient OC some proper closure.  
> I hope you enjoy!  
> -Becks

**Experimentation**

The Baron was punishing her.

It was as simple as that. Lucie knew the Baron would find a way to get back at her for delaying his experiments for close to a month, and now she knew how he was going to do it.

It was finally the first day that all the patients were fit enough to undergo trials – mainly through the Baron's insistence and Lucie's reluctant agreement—and that bastard was going to make her stand right next to her patients and watch them be tortured. This was wholly unnecessary; there was an observation and control room set off from the platform where her associates were working. But the Baron and his young commander Erol wanted front row seats, and they cordially invited Lucie to join them.

She gave the whirring machine above her a dirty look. Needles of varying, terrifying size clicked around while the injector calibrated itself. Those needles were meant specifically for getting into deep tissues and allowing a large amount of fluid to pass through. The diodes hummed unpleasantly right above her ears, surging with energy to siphon away any escaping eco energy. Lucie knew every part of the machine and their functions. She’d thoroughly educated herself on the torture device looking for a weakness and an opportunity for sabotage. Unfortunately for her it was a sound machine, short of going at it with a sledge hammer or tainting its eco supply, there wasn’t much she could do to knock it out of commission for more than a few minutes before her coworkers put it back together again.

Presently, a voice came over the speakers, one of the other “doctors” back in the control room. “The machine is calibrated and ready for injections, Baron Praxis.” Her voice was cool and curt, almost devoid of any inflections.

Lucie gripped her datapad tightly, she was supposed to take notes with it, but she didn’t think she’d get any good observations done today.

“Are you ready, Doctor?” Praxis asked.

Lucie tried to act like she wasn’t completely sickened with the whole ordeal. “Yes,” she responded evenly.

“Then we shall begin. Bring out the first subject,” the Baron commanded to two guards waiting on the far end of the walkway.

Lucie followed them with her eyes, terrified, wondering which of her patients – no, the _test subjects_ – would be the first for the Baron’s experiments today. Her mouth went dry when she recognized the door the guards stopped at.

_Not him. Not first. By the Precursors, please not him!_

The boy was reluctant to leave his cell, having to be dragged out by the guards. He had a clear view of the center platform from the small window in his cell door, all the prisoners did. Lucie glanced around quickly; there was a face at every cell door, some looked scared and disturbed, some apprehensively curious, some seemed excited.

Jak was fighting hard enough that, after sharing an impatient look, his guards lifted him under his arms and carried the struggling child to the platform. They slammed him down onto the table. Lucie tried not to wince at the sound of Jak’s skull cracking against the metal. The violence had the desired effect for the guards. Jak briefly stopped struggling and they were able to restrain him. As he regained his senses, the child struggled some more. He thrashed against the restraints, his eyes darting around wide and terrified.

Lucie positioned herself behind his head, out of view. If she made eye contact with him she’d never get through this.

“Since he is our channeler, we’re starting him on low dosages. We don’t know how much will trigger a reaction,” Praxis explained to Erol. Lucie already knew this, though she was not included in the dosage decision making. Her colleagues took care of that.

“Begin when you’re ready.” Praxis called to the control booth.

Lucie stared down at her datapad, she couldn’t watch. She heard the machine activate, she heard the eco rush through the tubes, she heard the diodes spark in anticipation.

Jak was silent when the needles pierced his skin, only a sharp intake of breath indicating that he was in any pain. As soon as that dark eco hit him, though, he began screaming. Diluted or not, dark eco was poison, and it burned.

She could feel the dark energy moving through the air, most of it was caught by the diodes, but a few stray arcs escaped into the room. One nearly hit Lucie – moving towards her datapad’s power source – but she flinched out of the way just in time.

The liquid injections were complete. The needles withdrew from Jak, he gave a pained whimper. Lucie wished desperately that this was the end of the torture, but it was only the first step of the process. The liquid eco needed to be activated with the previously siphoned dark energy.

Jak was given five seconds of respite before the torture started again. Only long enough for the mechanisms to switch –the machine wasted no time.

Lucie was certain that for as long as she lived she would never forget the sound of Jak’s screaming. The child had never experienced agony like this, nobody had. His voice gave out near the end.

When the machine finally finished her cold voiced colleague read out the report. “Cycle complete. Levels are nominal.”

That Baron was not disappointed in the results, rather he seemed pleased. “The boy is resilient. We’ll try again tomorrow.”

Lucie finally dared a look at Jak. He lay limp against the table, head lolling to the side, eyes closed, fingers twitching sporadically as the rest of the eco energy dissipated. If not for the ragged breaths, she would have thought him dead.

Praxis motioned for the guards to retrieve Jak. They marched back across the bridge and released his bonds none too gently and pulled him upright. Jak didn’t respond.

“He may have a head injury, let me check.” Lucie stepped forward. She checked his eyes, the pupils were unevenly dilated – Jak was most likely concussed. “Be more careful next time,” she snapped at the guards. “These tests will do you no good if we’re running them on the brain dead!”

Lucie felt a hand tighten around her wrist and realized too late that Jak had come to. She finally met his eyes. They were terrified and confused. He breathed heavily, shakily. He leaned against her, pressing his head to her shoulder. He grasped at her desperately, seeking comfort she couldn’t give. Lucie could feel tears soak through her clothes.

Lucie held herself stiffly, afraid to even twitch in a way that would appear comforting. She couldn’t do that anymore. She couldn’t let herself grow fond of the boy. Her eyes burned with tears, but she had to keep them back. Her anger had to overpower her despair.

She felt like she was betraying Jak.

“Take him back to his cell,” Praxis ordered the guards.

They stepped forward and forcibly detached Jak from Lucie. His grip was so desperate Lucie could feel his fingernails clawing at her even through her clothes. Finally, they pulled him away and forced him to his feet. They practically had to carry Jak back to his cell – his legs weren’t supporting his body weight. As they hauled him back across the walk way Lucie called after them.

“You cause any more head trauma to my subjects and you’ll find yourself in this chair next!” She rounded on Praxis, drawing on her rage for confidence. “My conditions were the patients _must_ be in good health! If they are being manhandled and concussed before tests then we will not get accurate results.”

“You would be wise to remember your place!” Erol snapped at her, stepping forward.

Lucie leveled him with a cold glare. “As would you, Commander. This is _my_ domain.”

Praxis placed a hand on Erol’s shoulder, cutting off his retort. “Enough,” he commanded. “The subjects are to remain in good health to ensure reliable results.  Commander, ensure the guards understand this.” The Baron’s voice was even, but his eyes flashed a warning to Lucie. _Watch your step, Doctor._

Erol nodded and marched off quickly. Lucie met the Baron’s glare. “If you are not going to allow me to do my job, why bother bringing me in?” she asked coolly. “You’ve paid too much to ignore my expertise, Baron.”

“You’ve made your point, Doctor,” Praxis growled, ending the discussion.

Lucie turned her attention back to the cells, and the next test subject being dragged out of his cell. This was going to be a very long day.

 

**XXXXXXXXXX**

 

Lucie trudged up to her apartment, on the verge of tears, on the verge of collapse. She paused outside her door and glanced down the hall. Nial should be home by now… and she really didn’t want to be alone. She stepped into her apartment, dropped her coat and bag by the door and immediately turned around. Barely holding back tears now, she pressed a shaking finger to his door bell.

Nial had been a close friend for decades. A few years older than Lucie, they had been colleagues in the hospital. He had moved onto the clinics while Lucie stayed at the hospital, but they kept in touch. By coincidence, they became neighbors. He had lost his wife when Dead Town fell, the same day Lucie lost her husband. He was there for her during her subsequent miscarriage. Their friendship had a long history of support and companionship. And though neither of them had truly felt ready to move on from their first spouse, they did enjoy each other’s company from time to time.

Lucie heard movement behind the door and it opened. “Lucie, what’s wrong?”

She stepped into his arms and buried her face in his chest, finally letting her tears fall. Nial rubbed her back gently and held her close.

“Bad day, huh?”

Lucie just held him tighter in response.

“Go on and sit down, I’ll get you a cup of tea.” Nial steered her into his living room and settled her on the couch.

“I’m going to need something stronger than tea.”

“Noted.” He changed directions from his kitchen to his sidebar. He filled two glasses with clear liquor. He sat next to Lucie, handing her glass over. She immediately took a healthy drink. “Tell me about it when you’re ready.”

Lucie finished her drink and got a refill before she was ready to talk. “We started the experiments today.” She stated hollowly, running a finger around the rim of her glass. “He made me stand right there and watch every single one.” She took a drink. “We already lost one.”

Nial swallowed nervously. “The boy?”

“No, the old woman. She was already weak, I knew she wouldn’t last long but… she died during the injection process and they still finished the procedure.” Lucie wiped her eyes vainly and leaned into Nial. “I didn’t think we’d lose one on the first day.”

“You and I both know the Baron’s madness is going to put them all in the ground eventually. It was probably best that she didn’t have to suffer more than once.”

“She shouldn’t have had to suffer at all. None of them should have.” Lucie finished the rest of her drink. “I don’t know how I’m going to get through this?” she whispered weakly.

“You have to try, Lu. You’re the only one who could finally put an end to this.”

“I don’t think it will ever end. The Baron will kill the remaining fourteen and then just find more subjects. He won’t ever stop.” Lucie set her empty glass aside and sank down farther, resting her head in Nial’s lap. He comforted her quietly, running his fingers through her hair.

She truly wasn’t sure she would make it through the rest of the year. The guilt was going to consume her.

 

**XXXXXXXXXX**

 

Lucie was furious. Four months into this job and she could no longer hold her tongue. Praxis _had_ to do something!

“You need to put your golden boy on a leash, Baron.” Lucie demanded, storming into Praxis’ office. Her escort followed behind, apologizing profusely.

“I’m sorry, my Baron, she would not be stopped.”

Praxis waved away the KG with one hand. “Doctor, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Erol put _six_ civilians in the hospital last night while he was street racing, including a child!”

“Erol is our top racer. The NYFE Grand Prix is coming up soon. He must practice. You want him to win, don’t you?”

“His ego needs to stay on the track and off the streets. Do you know how many people have been injured and hospitalized from his street racing this year alone?”

“Surely you don’t think that the other racers aren’t responsible for some of those injuries.”

“I give the responsibility to Erol. He’s the instigator.”

“My dear Doctor, Erol is a champion racer. I think he can handle street racing without any civilian casualties by his hand.”

“There have been eye witnessed who say otherwise.”

“Eye witnesses can be horribly unreliable, you know that.”

“ _I_ have witnessed it! Last night when he clipped a little girl and her mother in the bazaar! Damnit, his body count is higher than some of my test subjects’!” Lucie pointed emphatically back in the general direction of the prison. “If he wasn’t your favorite pet to parade around, he’d be in that prison, in a cell, and strapped to that same damn table as the rest of the criminals!”

Praxis narrowed his eye dangerously at Lucie. “What are you suggesting, Doctor?”

“I’m saying you need to put your damn crocadog on a tighter leash. Half the city hates him and the other half is indifferent. If he keeps hurting more people your loyal citizens might choose to put a dangerous animal down.”

Lucie didn’t bother waiting for a response from Praxis. She turned sharply on her heel and marched away. Truthfully she wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. She had WAY overstepped her bounds and wouldn’t put it past Praxis to arrest her if she lingered too long.

“While you are here, Doctor, I must discuss something with you,” Praxis called after her.

Lucie froze, took a steadying breath, and turned around. “Yes, Baron Praxis?”

“There has been a suspicious amount of certain drugs being ordered by your hand. More than should be necessary.”

Lucie cocked a curious eyebrow and walked back towards Praxis. She wasn’t aware of any over ordering of drugs, and she wasn’t foolish enough to attempt to smuggle drugs out for the clinics. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

Praxis handed over a datapad with the last several months of her order request queued up. A few drugs were highlighted, repetitive orders, high numbers. Lucie almost rolled her eyes.

“These are contraceptive and abortive pills. I assure you they are necessary for me to stock and in quite high demand.”

“Surely not that high of a demand.”

“The contraceptives are a daily pill.” Lucie shrugged. “People like sex. They try to be careful, but accidents happen. Would you rather lose your female officers to unplanned pregnancies and motherhood?” She almost wished she could tell him his own daughter had been in her office just yesterday seeking pills to take care of an accidental problem. The look on his face would have been quite satisfying. She moved on instead. “If you don’t want to continue supplying these medicines for your soldiers, then you should make efforts to cut the problem off at the head. I suggest castration. That would reduce my demand quite drastically.”

“Your opinion has been noted,” Praxis growled.

Lucie smiled placidly and handed the datapad back. “Is there anything else I can do for you, Baron?”

“No, Doctor, that it all.”

“And my medications?”

“Continue to restock as necessary.”

“Thank you, Baron. If you’ll excuse me, I have work I must return to.”

Lucie knew she would be escorted back to her office. Such was the routine of life in the Palace and Fortress. Today would be easier though. None of the subjects were scheduled for tests today. She just had to worry about officer physicals and drop-ins. She wouldn’t have to go into the prison. Lucie breathed deeply, counting off the days remaining of her year from hell. Eight more months. Two hundred and twenty-eight days left.

She could make it.

**Author's Note:**

> Before you ask: Physiecoology is not a typo, it's pronounces "fizzy-eco-ology" as in "the study of Eco's effects on human physiology."
> 
> Dr. Lucie and Dr. Dean (Ineverbotheredtogivehimalastname) are my intellectual property and may not be used without my permission. All other characters and setting belong to Naughty Dog.


End file.
